Program trains veterans to farm and ranch

 O n a muddy spring afternoon in Corrales, Jessica Andrews inspects lettuce rows inside a warm greenhouse at Silver Leaf Farms.

The U.S. Navy veteran is starting a new career in agriculture now that she has returned to New Mexico from her post in Hawaii.

Andrews is hoping to reinvigorate a plot of family land in Española as a small farm.

“I really love the idea of growing my own food to sustain myself and the local community,” she said.

Andrews and 30 other New Mexico residents gathered in Albuquerque for “Armed to Farm,” a weeklong program that teaches military veterans how to run an agricultural business.

The National Center for Appropriate Technology has trained 900 veterans in the last decade through the free initiative.

A mix of classroom instruction and site visits gives the beginning farmers confidence and connections, said program director Margo Hale, who also leads the agriculture organization’s southeastern region...MORE